APBN pledges implementation of EO5, to reduce quackery
PLANSARE underway by the Lagos State Chapter of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria ( APBN) to collaborate with the national body to ensure proper implementation of Presidential Executive Order No. 5 for promotion of local content in the award, planning and execution of contracts in line with the public procurement Act.
6th Chairman, APBN, Lagos State Chapter, Abayomi Ogunjimi, stated this in his acceptance speech during investiture and induction of members of the executive committee for the next two years.
He said for the promotion of Nigerian content in contracts, science, engineering and technology, it was pertinent for the Federal Government to give preference to Nigerian companies, firms and professionals.
He said under the Act, Ministries, Departments and Agencies ( MDAS) are expected to engage indigenous professionals in the planning, design, and execution of national security projects as long as the experts are available in Nigeria.
Among other plans, Ogunjimi said the association would work with appropriate organs of government to reduce the incidence of quackery in the various professions, particularly the building and health sectors.
Noting that Nigeria had a problem of non- recognition of professionals, he said as a professional association, the APBN would continue to offer advice and liaise with appropriate government agencies to ensure that professionals are put in the right places.
Speaking on the theme, ‘ Building Confidence to Face Professional Challenges’, Guest Speaker and Former Registrar, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria ( ICAN), Olutoyin Adepate, said there was the need to rejig the training programme for each professional body.
In doing so, he said they must be aware of the future of work even as they needed to develop new skills to enable them to participate actively in the fourth industrial revolution ( 4IR). According to him, because of the high level of corruption in the country, there is the need to incorporate ethics into the curriculum, and the need for continued professional skills development. He advised that professionals should take interest in public discourse in contributing to the development of policies.
Chairman of the occasion and Managing Director, Kenol Nigeria Limited, Olu Ogunduyile, charged the association to ensure they keep ‘ idle’ professionals busy by building their selfconfidence to diminish their fears of having nothing to do.
He also charged the new chairman to place more emphasis on delivering on his competence to achieve better results.
In her remarks, the immediate past chairman, Lynda Onefeli, said despite the COVID- 19 pandemic, her tenure was able to achieve a lot.